Trooping Crumble Cap
Coprinellus disseminatus
Unlike its close relatives the true 'inky caps', the Trooping Crumble Cap is non-deliquescent, meaning its gills do not melt into black ink as it matures; it simply crumbles away.
- Scientific name
- Coprinellus disseminatus
- Taxonomy
- Fungi › Basidiomycota › Agaricomycetes › Agaricales › Psathyrellaceae › Coprinellus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Damp deciduous forests, grassy parks, and suburban gardens, clustered on or near highly decayed logs, stumps, and buried roots.
- Diet
- Saprotrophic, absorbing nutrients by decomposing dead deciduous wood and organic forest litter.
- Range
- North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America
- Size
- Cap diameter 0.5 to 1.5 cm; stem height 1 to 5 cm.
- Lifespan
- Individual mushrooms last only 24 to 48 hours, though the underground mycelial network can live for several years.
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Over-clearing of deadwood and stumps in managed forests and urban landscapes, which deprives the fungi of their primary food source.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These tiny mushrooms are non-toxic but too fragile and small to be of any culinary value. They can be safely observed and photographed at any distance. Do not consume them, as they can be easily confused with other small, toxic species. No special precautions are needed for physical contact, but wash hands after handling wild fungi.
Coprinellus disseminatus (formerly Coprinus disseminatus ; commonly known as "fairy inkcap" or "trooping crumble cap") is a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. Unlike most other coprinoid mushrooms, C. disseminatus does not dissolve into black ink ( deliquesce ) in maturity. The species was given its current name in 1939 by Jakob Emanuel Lange. The mushroom is edible but of low quality.
Photo: Squeezyboy, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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